Psychometric validation of the WHO-5 and WHO-4 well-being index scales for assessing psychological well-being and detecting depression in Japanese school-aged children: a community-based study

Overall, the WHO-4-J demonstrated psychometric properties comparable to those of the WHO-5-J, supporting its practical utility as a culturally appropriate tool for assessing psychological well-being and screening for depression in Japanese youth. These findings underscore the importance of cultural adaptation and developmentally appropriate scaling for accurately assessing psychological well-being in diverse, non-Western child populations.